We Are The World
by Storm Vanguard One
Summary: In the aftermath of Operation Ouka, the remnants of A-01 stand grieving. Alone among them, Yuuko and Kasumi remember everything, but must keep their silence. Should we give up? Is there hope? Join A-01 as they journey across their war-torn Mother Earth, and humanity, drunken in its first victory in the death battle against the BETA, totters on the verge of self-defeat.
1. Chapter 1: The End, and the Beginning

**AN: Well, I don't know if anyone will read this, since it's my first time using an AN. Thank you all, for choosing to read my story in the Muv-Luv fandom. It took me about 6 months to get to the point where I felt ready to write a story for this masterwork, which may or may not do justice to the themes covered in the actual series. This story doesn't really have any direction so far, but it will revolve around the survivors of the main cast in A-01 and Yuuko, as they continue humanity's struggle in the place of the original A-01. As the name suggests, it intends to theoretically fill in gaps in the events between the end of Alternative and the next time the characters appear, which would be Operation Sledgehammer in 2003, as well as my personal take on the way the rest of the world looks after the destruction of the BETA invasion. I may change the time period later, depending, but at the very least the first arc lasts until 2003. Enjoy yourselves!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The End and the Beginning**

Cherry Blossom Trees, Yokohama Base, UN 11th Pacific Force HQ, Alternative IV

January 4th, 2002

'Attention!'

*Swish… thud*

'Salute!'

Suzumiya Akane raised her right hand to her brow, and saluted the cherry blossom trees in front of her. Her gaze lingered a little on a scorched hunk of metal from the training field, before she lowered her hand and bowed her head.

Beside her, 2nd Lieutenants Kazama Touko and Munakata Misae did the same.

The base was still littered with ribbons and banners commemorating the great victory of humanity in Operation Ouka, the mission to infiltrate and cripple the BETA leadership in the Kashgar Hive. Although outwardly Akane maintained a façade of professionalism with the correct amount of pain, inwardly she didn't want to do anything other than sit in front of the tree and start babbling, sobbing, and crying, attempting to speak to her deceased teammates.

Her sister, Suzumiya Haruka, a quiet soul who had nothing to do on the frontline. Her seniors. Captain Isumi, Storm Vanguard 1 Hayase. Her friends. Chizuru, Mitsurugi, Ayamine, and even for a brief amount of time, Kagami. There was a man too, with short hair, a strong figure and an uncompromising attitude. But she could not for the life of her remember his name.

It wasn't right of course, to be clamouring for something as worthless and superficial as _recognition_ when the spirits of her friends were no doubt rejoicing, enjoying the favor of the deities for their contributions. And who couldn't see their contributions? Sadogashima Hive was destroyed. After the victory at Kashgar, BETA activity had hit an all-time low as the now leaderless hives had to direct their own activities without tactical leadership, and with little success. For the first time in almost twenty years there was a glimmer of hope for humanity. The CO was smiling, the news channels broadcasted something other than propaganda, and the young cadets were now regaled with battlefield tales tinged with nostalgia, instead of pain.

But even as the church bells rang, temple monks chanted and lanterns were released all over the country, there would be none who would speak for these seven brave souls. They had thrown away their lives outside of the darkness of war too. Their educations, their families, their friends. They'd been uprooted from all of that too. But no one would remember. While all the acknowledged personnel got a great funeral ceremony with Beethoven's funeral march, these seven heroes got what little music Kazama could provide with her violin, and none of the attention of the world.

A droplet of water slid down Akane's cheek, as she struggled to hold herself together.

'A season too early, Kazama.'

Surprised, the three cadets turned, and immediately fell into brisk salutes on reflex. Before them stood Dr. Kouzuki Yuuko, the leader of Alternative IV, and the ubiquitous presence by her side, Yashiro Kasumi. The Doctor waved away their salutes in her customary laxness, and Yashiro continued staring straight into them with her transparent, yet piercing blue eyes. Instantly, Akane's nerves flooded with calm, and she noticed her two surviving teammates' shoulders relaxing as well. Odd, she thought. Nothing had been said. The next moment Yashiro was looking in no particular direction again, as usual.

'Pardon me, Professor,' said Kazama with a smile, 'one season too early for what?'

'Why, spring of course,' replied Dr. Kouzuki with her customary smirk, though all of them could see that her eyes were tired, and her hair more frazzled than usual. 'How thoughtful of you to give them Beethoven too.'

Kazama blushed and looked down with a small smile, while Akane and Munakata looked at each other in confusion. Beethoven too? Ah. Beethoven's 5th Violin Sonata, Spring. Yes indeed, it was a good choice on Kazama's part after all. Akane turned back to face the professor and her little companion. Her eyes met Yashiro's briefly, before the little Russian girl went back to hiding near Dr. Kouzuki's jacket.

'All jokes aside,' Dr. Kouzuki began, as the three cadets giggled a little over an admittedly horrible joke. 'It is a travesty.'

'But that is the way it has to be, at least for a while. You know, the usual red tape, regulations, restrictions. Nothing personal.'

She walked closer to the tree, and knelt by the little piece of metal.

'But it's nice, isn't it, Marimo?'

Dr. Kouzuki stood in silence and joined the three soldiers. Out of the corner of her eye Akane saw Yashiro walk with little steps towards the tree, and place something on it. The Russian girl knelt for a few moments, then backpedaled to join the line. Ha, a little rabbit figurine, made of light brown wood. Reminds me of… no one. Did Haruka-nee give me one before? No, I saw a boy holding that. Who was it? Did he have white eyes? Wh- No. Must have been some kind of hallucination after battle. They sold hundreds of those things in those funfairs that she used to go to as a child. Well, how thoughtful of Yashiro then. She nodded to Yashiro, who as usual, regarded her with her cold, icy gaze.

'Well,' Dr. Kouzuki said after a while. 'You're soldiers. And you know, the war isn't over.' She paused a little and seemed to bite her tongue, before she continued. 'A-01 will remain a personal squad under my command.

'2nd Lieutenant Asakura will be back from hospital the day after tomorrow, so give her a warm welcome, won't you? As of now, I hereby promote Lieutenant Munakata to Captain, and the rest of you to 1st Lieutenants. We leave the day after Asakura comes back, for Russia.'

She looked up at each of the cadets, who nodded in return, and dropped a set of Captain epaulettes into Munakata's hand.

'Now you are dismissed. Rest up and recover soon.'

The three stood still for a second, before Munakata remembered her promotion, and shuffled the trio into a line in front of Dr. Kouzuki.

'Attention… salute! March off!'

* * *

Kouzuki Yuuko looked at the retreating silhouettes of the three cadets, pulling her lab coat closer around herself. She felt bad about forcing them away from their grieving, but she'd seen enough of bereaved soldiers to know what happened when you left them alone for too long. Bereaved soldiers, left alone in their little echo chambers of misery and sadness, spawned unproductive movements like the RLF and Allegiance. She'd rather kill herself than see one of her personal warriors fall into such a pit.

She turned back to Yashiro's purple twintails, where the owner knelt in front of the little rabbit figurine she'd placed under the tree. Instantly she was struck with a stab of sadness, just from looking at the little girl. The feeling intensified as she stood and walked back to Yuuko's side, the two making eye contact briefly. To any outsider, ESPer Inia Sestina, or Yashiro Kasumi in Japan, was hardly affected by anything that happened around her. Her calm face and small stature reflected nothing but the visage of a child who knew nothing of what was happening. But Yuuko, with her admittedly stronger bond to Yashiro, was susceptible to 'leakages' of the ESPer's emotions as she projected them onto third parties unwittingly. So Yashiro was very affected indeed.

The duo stood in silence for a while, until Yuuko opened the conversation.

 _So, were you thinking about Him again?_

'Him' and all its derivatives were the word that the two had chosen to refer to that shadowy man who had been so integral in everything that Alternative IV had accomplished. That bratty savior from some other place, who had come at the right time and done what no other would have done. He who had journeyed across space-time and saved a world, only to disappear into nothingness after that, as though he had never existed.

 _Shirogane-san, you mean?_

The two stilled their thoughts for a moment as the ground near the tree crackled and flashed with little motes of white light. The little rabbit figurine lifted off the ground slightly, before it fell again.

This wasn't the first time it had happened. The causality links between their world and wherever He had gone were still strong. The very mention of this person, whose existence and metaphysical equation for existence in that form were not even conceived in this world, threatened to tear apart the barriers that maintained the separation of the two dimensions. Of course, as the two timelines drifted further apart from each other from this point onwards the link weakened, but every mention of His existence was the equivalent of all the heavy people in a boat slamming their weight on one side of it to force it onto a certain course, instead of using a rudder. Jarring, destabilizing, and dangerous. The first few times the duo had been obliged to come clean up the torn up turf around the tree. Especially since the two of them had had the strongest connections with him by far. Yuuko remembered several planning sessions and debates with Him. Yashiro had slept in his room and twined with him telepathically in the Susanoo IV's cockpit. Consequently, that little girl now stored all of the causality information that proved His existence at all, and for the last 48 hours after his departure she'd desperately been entering down all she could remember into physical mediums. Even ESPers' minds weren't immune to ageing and forgetfulness. Even if she, as the only remaining Causality Container*, could remember everything clearly while everyone else only perceived a vague shadowy figure that worked miracles, there was nothing wrong with erring on the side of caution. As long as his name was never spoken, at least.

Yuuko herself remembered scarce little about Him, though she could at least remember his face and mannerisms. But she knew that this was only due to her strong bond with Yashiro. Without the mental support of an accomplished ESPer her memories of him would have faded long ago. At the very least, her complete comprehension of the Quantum Causality Theory allowed her mind to contain the shock of accepting this alien equation without it spilling over into the world too much.

 _You know you need to stop doing that._

Yashiro shrugged.

 _If we're doomed without Him from now on, I'd rather the entire world die knowing the name of their savior, than arrogantly and uncomprehendingly going to their doom with fanfare and pomp._

Well, Yuuko thought. Irrational, but it's a huge burden, to remember all this when no one else does. Yashiro did not retract her statement, but Yuuko eventually did feel a tendril of something called 'reconciliation' appear in her mind, and she accepted it. It dissipated.

 _The others haven't forgotten yet._ Yashiro said, idly inspecting the hems of her customized uniform for dust. _That figurine nearly caused Suzumiya to remember. I had to stop her._

 _Good thing you did too._

 _Do you think He remembers us?_ Yashiro looked at Yuuko. _Wherever Sumika-san sent him_.

Yuuko knew Yashiro had as much understanding of the Theory as she did. There was no need to ask this question. After all, there was only one answer, and it definitely wouldn't be what Yashiro wanted to hear. She considered lying to her, but immediately realized there was no point. Yashiro's memory was far beyond any other's, and she had full view of her mind anyway.

 _Like energy, Causality Information cannot be created or destroyed. It can only be converted from one medium to another, or transported in the same vessel in the same form from one place to another. Additionally, the myriad worlds react against alien Causality Information the way a body reacts to foreign cells. This is the way Causality Information behaves in humans. Since His Causality Information has been converted to Memory Information in your mind, there is no way He would remember it, wherever it is He has gone. You already know this, don't you?_

Yashiro nodded silently, and a little sullenly.

 _Hmm,_ Yuuko continued. _Sometimes I wish I didn't remember._

Yashiro looked at her.

 _I remember the conversations I'd have with him in the office. I remember teaching and explaining to him, and him matching me, helping me. For the first time there was someone there who could understand the burden on my shoulders, who I could give my opinion to uncensored. I watched him grow, I watched him become strong. Now what will I do, without Him around? Talking to the other cadets seems so rote and mechanical in comparison. It's almost unreal._

Yuuko looked at Yashiro and saw the girl's eyes brimming with tears as she nodded. She understood how it felt. The day He left, the two of them had been more alone than ever. All the special ones, the applicants to A-01, had more or less perished. The ones left lacked personality and daring, humbled by the deaths of their comrades, deprived of the fire of passion by victories. Altogether they were purposeless and the world was surreal. But while Yashiro felt it on an emotional scale, Yuuko simply saw the dearth of meaningful conversation with anyone other than Yashiro. Who else would be able to keep up?

The two continued staring into space, watching as the air around the tree seemed to distort and twist in response to their thoughts.

Maybe this is how He felt, Yuuko thought, knowing my machine could take him back to his world, and this world could just go and die.

 _Perhaps it's good he doesn't remember then. Sumika-san wanted him to be happy._

 _Indeed, indeed._

* * *

The afternoon sun had turned to evening, and the 'prairie' of the flattened city was bathed in soft, golden sunlight. The skies were clear, with nothing but wisps of cloud. No jets, only the occasional TSF, and no Laser-class BETA. It really is surreal, Yuuko decided, with a small smile. But quite beautiful.

And the whole world could look like this once they had finally defeated the BETA for good. Forget Shiro-Him, she decided. He's earned his rest. He's done what only He could do. But we'll do what _we_ can do for our world. The war isn't over, and won't be for at least twenty or thirty years. Destroying all this that he and the seven of them gave their lives for would be an even greater crime than forgetting Him.

She could feel Yashiro considering this, and eventually deciding on the same course of action.

The two turned in unison and began walking back towards the gates of the base.

 _So, how do you feel about Russia?_

 _Would be nice to see my sisters again, though my handlers not so much. Finland would have been better, if only to satisfy Tamase's craving._

 _Well,_ Yuuko responded with a laugh. _Finland will come in time. Russians never knew where to stop when going westward._

Yashiro smiled.

* * *

 **1\. I put my own spin on the Quantum Causality Theory here. Kasumi was made to absorb and store the Causality Information about Shirogane in a similar way to what she had done when he was going between dimensions, and that's where all his memories went, as per Sumika wanted for him to have a carefree life after Alternative. I also know that my point about how Causality Information cannot be created or destroyed doesn't seem to support the other Kasumi in Final Extra looking like she remembers everything, but not only is it merely implied, these two don't know, and Kasumi isn't fully human herself.**


	2. Chapter 2: Im Russland

**AN: Hey guys, I'm back. Thanks for the review, DarkManta, I try my best. If anyone liked the portion with Yuuko and Kasumi last chapter, you may be a little disappointed. Currently I'm having a hard time deciding on a single staying 'protagonist' due to the themes I'm trying to work with, so let's just roll with it for now. But they'll be back next chapter, I promise you. I also would like to clarify that my update schedule may be fairly irregular, because I'm an A-Level student and the season is approaching, so if you're enjoying this so far you may have to wait longer than a day in the future. Sorry about that, but I'll try my best to keep it weekly and I'll tell you guys when I can't.**

 **In the meantime, please enjoy the second chapter of this story, as A-01 arrives in Russia!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Im Russland**

A-01 Dormitory, Yokohama Base, UN 11th Pacific Force HQ, Alternative IV (Completed)

6th January 2002

 _Awake._

Akane opened her eyes, and took a look at the clock on the wall. 0430. Approximately 2 hours before they were due to report at the HSST landing pad.

Not that she had much she needed to do though. The room itself was already stripped bare apart from her toiletries, down to its original drab coloration. Soldiers didn't own much. What she owned, Yokohama Base seemed to own as well.

Akane recounted to herself the happenings of the last few days as she cleaned her teeth and washed her face. Asakura had been released from hospital yesterday to no great fanfare. Munakata had spent most of the day getting her up to speed and making her see that she had done them no great disservice by being absent from duty, but yet also wasn't non-essential. They'd spent the rest of the days learning basic Russian greetings and customs, and sewing their new unit patches onto their uniforms. Drying herself off with a towel, she folded up that last remaining shirt with the 11th Force insignia on it, and donned a fortified suit with the 6th's emblem. Thankfully, they'd been allowed to keep their Valkyries patches. Akane had never felt real attachment to the 11th Force, being under Dr. Kouzuki's personal command, but it did feel weird wearing the Soviet patch. It wasn't official, but apparently Soviet guards were fond of stopping outsiders for the sake of it if they happened to be wearing the 'wrong' patch, though Akane wasn't sure it would actually help since she still _looked_ Japanese.

Akane gathered up her bags and stood on the threshold of her room for the past four years of her life. 'Thank you,' she said, bowing deeply to the room. 'You've been good to me.' She switched off the lights and went outside. On Haruka's door hung her dog tags, somehow retrieved from her body after the altercation in the control room. Akane picked them up and wore them around her neck, then made haste to reach the HSST pad.

It was a comical sight to say the least. Professor Kouzuki and Yashiro were there first, as usual, both dressed quite smartly. The Doctor wore a HSSTs' pilot suit, with no insignia, as per her position. Beside her Yashiro wore a black fortified suit of foreign make, and regarded the air coolly as usual. Her UN 6th Force Patch was present, but her Alternative IV patch was gone. Instead on her left arm was a rather brightly colored patch with some unintelligible characters on it. Akane squinted a little to make out the English words below the much larger alien language: _1st Division 'Sestina'- Special Purpose Forces, USSR._

They were compelled to remain silent lest they bite their tongues until the HSST cleared the Earth's atmosphere, and began cruising at the altitude demarcated by the SDI* spacebuoys. Now and then there were flashes of light as the SDI platforms fired missiles at little projectiles that rose from the Earth's surface, mostly from the landmass that Akane expected composed the former nations of Europe. She gasped as she looked at the Earth. Where were the lush green forests of Eurasia, the small wisps of cloud and the glow of lights in the darkness of space? This wasn't Earth, if someone had held up a placard naming this as the surface of the moon Akane wouldn't have disagreed. Beside her, Munakata and Kazama wore similarly horrified expressions, while Asakura simply grimaced.

'What the fuck happened to Earth?' Munakata gasped.

'Honestly, nothing.'

They, with the exception of Asakura, turned towards Dr. Kouzuki, who had been returning to the front of the cabin, Yashiro in tow.

'The Earth has been that color ever since the BETA passed through the land area.'

She walked back to where she came from.

'It's true.' Now they looked at Asakura.

'I heard about it in the military hospital. The Earth has been this color since about 1990, when they got Europe and the BETA started coming this way. Can you see where it's black and green there?'

They looked.

'That's where we're going, Kamchatka. The Russians have been fighting hard there since the 1990s. China's just beginning to turn grey too, but there's some green parts in the southern regions.

'Those things they're shooting out of space are from the other hives in the European regions. We don't know what they are, but we're not taking the chance that they're being used to call for help.'

Munakata intervened then, slapping an arm over Asakura's mouth and smiling predatorily as the other girl struggled comically.

'Now, now, let's close that sweet little mouth of yours, shall we?' the newly christened Captain said, putting her face close to Asakura as she closed the potholes that allowed them to look at Earth. 'Whatever are we doing now, getting all ahead of the CO?' Kazama giggled as Asakura reddened in mock shame and Munakata _tsk-tsked_ playfully.

Then she looked at Akane. 'Won't you be shy when we touch down in the Russian port later, Akane-chan?' She raked her eyes over Akane's front suggestively.

Now it was her turn to redden and cover herself. 'What are you looking at, Munakata?!' she yelled, shrinking away in mock disgust. 'Pervert! Peeper! Lecher!'

'Oh I would love to ravish you, Akane-chan, but there's nothing to look at.'

'Ah-,' Akane froze with a half-smile on her face, legitimately heating up now, as Kazama burst into laughter and Asakura buried her face in her hands.

'I heard from Mitsuki that Russian girls are all nice and round, with huge boobs and juicy asses.' Munakata licked her lips, leering at Akane, who was beginning to tire of this banter.

'Poor Akane-chan.' Munakata mused, touching her puckered lips with her finger and shaking her head. ' _Will you remain small forever?_ '

'FUCK YOU!'

Akane pounced on Munakata, pinning her down with a glare, and then tickling her as hard as she could, jabbing her fingers into the surprisingly soft bits of flesh above her hips, cackling as Munakata herself screamed with laughter. The tide turned as Kazama herself came around on Munakata's side, and herself tackled Akane, with Asakura joining in against the now vacant Munakata.

Soon all four girls were in a heap, laughing and crying at the same time as they clutched their aching sides. Akane looked around at the faces of her friends, smiling radiantly herself as she watched them holding on to each other for support, gasping for air and yet exhaling with contentment. She giggled a little, then felt more tears come out of her eyes than before. I'm so happy, I don't want this to end. I don't want to leave the shuttle and go back down onto that fucked up world down there where they're sending us to go die in battles and my friends never come back and I have to sleep on a hard bed while my sister is dead and my parents don't care or maybe they're dead too and-

'Akane?'

She started as someone called her name. Who was it? She couldn't see. Why was her vision so blurred? 'I'm sorry,' she tried to say, but could only choke. 'It's nothing I just…'

She couldn't talk anymore after that, simply collapsed into tears as she pounced on Munakata and held her tightly, sobbing into her shoulder and pressing her face into her neck.

'Why?' she said, in between breaths. 'Why did they all have to die, why, why, why!'

Munakata said nothing, just gave a heave of her own and stroked her back calmingly.

'Everyone I wanted to learn from, why do they keep fucking dying, why?!'

Silence. Akane felt Munakata's chin press against her head, and a few droplets of water trickle onto her neck. But still, she said nothing, only continuing to rock the girl. She continued doing that even when Kazama and Asakura joined them as well, although the latter a little awkwardly.

'I don't know why,' said Munakata at last. 'There's no reason why. All I know is, Haruka wouldn't have wanted to see you like this, would she, Akane-chan?'

Akane shook her head. Yes it was true. Her sister would have whacked her out of it the moment she saw her even beginning to crack. This was wrong, this was disgusting. She shouldn't be crying, no this was wrong.

'Don't force yourself back to some fake façade,' Munakata bid fiercely, drawing back now so she could face Akane with all of her stark brown irises. 'There's nothing wrong with feeling a bit of sadness.'

'But Haruka-nee always said-,'

'Do you remember one of our old teammates?'

'Huh?'

'I forget his name, but it was right after Isumi died.' Akane and the others nodded.

'He was beside himself for days after that. He couldn't talk, he couldn't look any of us in the eye, he couldn't do anything basically. He kept apologizing, the way he did after Sergeant Jinguuji died too. Do you remember?'

Mm, yes she did. Akane nodded. A little wooden rabbit flashed before her eyes.

'Yeah, well I have to confess, I kind of thought he was a basket case then.' They all laughed.

'But he managed to pull himself together anyway. Every single time he went into a battle he came out crying because someone who didn't have to die died. But in every next fight we had I could hear him screaming at the BETA in his mic, every single swear word he knew, telling the BETA to go fuck themselves even if they didn't have the organs for it, telling them to give back all the people they'd taken from him. Telling them to fuck off from the solar system back to whatever shithole planet they'd come from.

'I used to think this made him weak, this made him unreliable, made him reckless.' Munakata shook her head with a little smile. 'But now, not really.'

'It made him someone I could talk to, at the end of the day. Someone with emotions and real feelings. Mitsurugi was too… _straight_. Kei-chan was really weird, Miki-chan cracked too easily. But not him. He came back bouncing hard each time, fighting harder than ever. He learned from his mistakes, and he didn't let himself become too hard. He remembered what all of them died for. He didn't let himself become an Eberbach.*'

Now Munakata drew Akane in for a hug, and all of a sudden Akane found her lip quivering again. 'You get stronger each time you withstand something like this, Akane-chan. There's nothing wrong with remembering our fallen comrades. But after that you must get up and keep going, so that they can live through you. Understand? I, _we_ know it's hard. But we also know you're stronger than this.'

Akane nodded, drying away her tears with her sleeve, trying her best to smile back at her captain. Of course, she couldn't let her captain down now after all. She was better. She had to be. For Haruka, and everyone else.

'Hmm, odd,' Munakata said, looking up at the ceiling. 'I can't remember that guy's name at all…'

'Please pardon the intrusion.'

The four of them jumped and looked towards the door, where Yashiro stood, with an unusual expression on her face. Rather, the fact that she had an expression at all was unusual in itself. A flicker of heartache flashed through Akane as she looked at Yashiro, which eventually faded away to that unnerving sense of calm that always took over her whenever Yashiro made eye contact with her.

'We will be landing at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Base within the next ten minutes. Please make yourselves comfortable and presentable.'

With that, the Russian girl turned around and walked off, closing the door behind her.

'Brr…' Asakura mock-shivered. 'Never could really get used to her.'

'Nah, you should have seen her competing with Kagami-san a few weeks ago… Oh, Akane-chan, maybe you should go wash up, yes?'

Akane nodded, still high on Yashiro's 'calm'.

* * *

HSST Landing Bay, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Base, UN 6th Force HQ, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

The first thing that Akane realized when they landed was that even if she was going to be put to shame, she honestly wouldn't know herself. Their HSST was inspected by a stern-looking Soviet soldier, clad in grey winter furs with a grey _ushanka_ cap. The only spots of color on her uniform were the gold buttons, crimson collar pins, and the red star badge on her cap. She exchanged a few words with Yashiro, her breath quickening each moment longer they spoke, before she turned and got off the flight more hastily than she'd gotten on. Yashiro put on a dark grey greatcoat that seemed of the same make as her countryman's, and came round the back to give a few to A-01.

Akane stepped off the ship, and took a deep breath, immediately regretting it as the icy air stabbed her lungs. Shielding her eyes from the surprisingly bright sun, she looked around at the base she'd arrived at. Everything was caked in a fine layer of snow, pristine white as though it were a dusting of icing sugar. Even the Soviet soldiers in their austere grey coats looked more welcoming with a few smudges of white powder here and there on their person. From a flagpole on the north corner of the roof fluttered a red flag with a hammer and sickle and star in the top left hand corner. A few male guardsmen looked at the Japanese visitors and began chattering amongst themselves, raising eyebrows and making catcalls, before their female comrades silenced them with a few hard whacks. Thank God Dr. Kouzuki was wearing one of those coats too. She thought she felt Yashiro's gaze on her again, but when she turned around to look, the little Russian girl was calmly looking at the guards waiting to receive them.

A man wearing a dark blue coat as opposed to the grey of the other soldiers walked up to them, and Akane could see from his rather ornamental visor cap that he was no ordinary foot soldier. No, it was the custom in Western militaries for officers to often be obliged to suffer more than their own men in harsh weather for the sake of style. So here was someone important.

' _Zdravstvuyte vse, i dobroye utro, Tovarishch Sestina,_ ' the man tipped his cap to Yashiro, which she returned with a crisp salute of her own, before he turned to Dr. Kouzuki. ' _Doctor Kouzooki, I am General Yudenich, commander in chief of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Base. We are honored to have you here. The Security Council is on Level B-35, if you'll follow me. You can bring Trista with you if you need translation._ '

' _Dobroye utro, comrade General, thank you for your hospitality._ ' To her credit, Dr. Kouzuki replied back in flawless English following a decent attempt at a Russian greeting. ' _My personal squad?_ '

' _My men will show them to their dorms. Separate of course. Hahaha, let us go!'_

As the general walked off with Dr. Kouzuki and Yashiro, one of the General's guards stayed behind. A young boy, not more than eighteen at most. When faced with the squad of A-01, three quarters of which were older than he, he blushed and beckoned with his hand, stuttering a few words in Russian. The four of them went with him, their own faces burning as the other guardsmen on the roof cheered and clapped for their younger comrade.

It was a most drab place after all. Unlike Yokohama Base which had been built from scratch as a UN base, the UN 6th Force Base had begun as a Soviet base, and a Far East one at that; its state reflected this. Maksim, as his nametag seemed to suggest his name was, showed full awareness of this as he awkwardly pointed out the few amenities the base seemed to have, almost blending in with the monotony of the grey walls which were only broken by the occasional poster. ' _Kaffayteeriya, ili kantin_ ,' he garbled, in his terribly accented English, pointing into a shady looking, artificially lit place with soldiers sitting around playing cards or drinking. Akane resisted the urge to throw up as she saw the cafeteria server dropping a dollop of some kind of disgusting nutrient gloop onto a sad-looking Eishi's plate. Her spirits plummeted further. It seemed that unlike back at home, the Russians didn't bother pretending their food was anything other than that synthesized slop.

Surprisingly though, the base did contain some things that Yokohama Base did not possess. ' _Game-room_ ', said Maksim, and a room that for some reason possessed a pool table and some simple board games presented itself. ' _Biblioteka… laiberry?_ ' Maksim hesitated, smiling as he pointed out a room filled with books, standing a little straighter as Akane smiled in gratitude. Haruka had loved to read, even if it had only been picture books, and Akane had learned absorbed this love. Maybe she'd find some good volumes in that room.

After another ten minutes of walking they finally stopped in front of four doors that faced each other. ' _Here, you room,_ ' said Maksim, fishing a few keys out of his pocket and pressing them into their hands. ' _You, you, you i you. Hope you haff good time on base, da?'_

The four of them nodded gratefully, and Maksim gave Munakata a little map. ' _Outside base, goroda Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Malen'kyy gorod, small. Noh, khoroshye magazini, universitet, orkestr. You have good time!'_ He laughed as they looked at him in amazement. _'Have good time before BETA come!_ '

' _Thank you so much,_ ' Munakata said, shaking his hand profusely, as Kazama and Asakura began looking over the map, no doubt trying to find the orchestra he'd spoken of. ' _Which part Russia you from?_ '

The soldier's face darkened a little, and Akane was slightly frightened, before he seemed to remember who he was talking to and waved off the question. ' _Ah! Me ne russki, not Russia. No, no._ ' He made a crossing motion with his hands. _'Ya zhivul v Ukraini, ya Ukrainian.'_ He pointed at some female soldiers walking past them towards the canteen. ' _Ona Georgian, other ona Kazaki._ ' He waggled a finger at them as he walked off, slinging his rifle over his shoulder.

' _Nobody here russki. Only General, russki suka!_ '

He walked off, leaving the rest of A-01 to stare at him in silence.

* * *

 **1) Strategic Defense Initiative: In real life, the US came up with the idea of a satellite network to thwart missile attacks from the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was repurposed for surveillance and combat in Muv-Luv, since no one used missiles anymore.**

 **2) Theodor Eberbach, protagonist of Schwarzesmarken. At the start of the show at least, he was known for being cold and intentionally distancing himself from his teammates to prevent himself from being hurt. Not an implausible outcome for Shirogane, and certainly not an illogical choice if one ignores the ramifications beyond the self.**

 **Also, I have absolutely nothing against Russian people and history. MLA Total Eclipse just happened to touch on this issue and present the Soviet faction that way. Peace to all nations, and see you all soon for more Yuuko and Kasumi. Feel free to ask questions or raise key characters you may want to see in reviews. Do svidaniya, uvidimsya!**


	3. Chapter 3: Give and Take

**AN: Back, with a rather long chapter centred on Yuuko and the UNSC. This may be my last update for awhile, since I'm still trying to figure out how to connect some of the events I have planned later. In the meantime, here's my attempt to portray Yuuko as I remember her. Someone who knows what she wants, is hard to scare, and is sharp. Feel free to review; my first serious attempt! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Give and Take**

Level B35, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Base, UN 6th Force HQ, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

' _Tridtsat' pyat'nyy B. B-Thirty-five.'_ Announced the elevator speaker, as the old platform ground to a halt. Two guards waiting outside the lift saluted as Yuuko walked by with General Yudenich, Yashiro trailing her close behind.

There had been little small talk from the General after they'd left the HSST landing bay. But that was to be expected, after all. His expression of weariness and detachment was something Yuuko was more than accustomed to seeing on General Radhabinod's face back in Yokohama Base. Only upon the completion of Operation Ouka had that face begun to show something other than a grimace or frown. Here in Russia where the enemy vanguard was still pressing strong, it was rather foolish to hope for any better.

They walked past several sealed doors with lit, flaming torches posted by them, as well as guards that wore mechanical feedback protectors instead of being armed with mere assault rifles. Under the torches on the left side of the doors were posted notices with what appeared to be names on them, not more than twenty each, with a gold-rimmed red star at the top of the notice.

' _Doctor Kouzuki,_ ' rumbled General Yudenich. ' _It is disrespectful to linger on the names of the dead._ '

Yuuko was more intrigued than intimidated. ' _Why here?'_

' _All the bases in the Far East used to be linked by underground rail for ease of commuting, since… forty-six._ ' The General stopped walking to drape his greatcoat over his arm, and Yuuko took note of the height of the ceiling in comparison to the rest of the base. The floor here is wood and stone, but the walls and ceiling are UN metal and concrete. Interesting.

 _'Those doors went to… Krasnoyarsk._ '

Ah. Objective 15 now.

' _We had to seal them somehow._ '

Yuuko nodded and straightened up, following in the wake of the General, who quickened his pace. He did not look back.

* * *

Subterranean Meeting Room Z, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Base, Temporary International Ground, United Nations Security Council

' _Please, submit yourself to a body search._ '

Yuuko complied, allowing the guard to pat down her coat and UN uniform. Beside her, another guard patted Yashiro down rather quickly, and then switched her rabbit ear inhibitors for a different, white colored pair.

' _Good luck, doctor,_ ' Yudenich rumbled again, before he settled down on a chair beside the door. He would not be following them in, Yuuko gathered. Once she made sure Yashiro was ready, she palmed the door open and walked into the meeting room.

She was quite relieved to see upon walking in that they had done away with the typical interrogation set-up where a single light only illuminated a 5 metre radius around the person sitting in front of the Security Council. To their credit, the seating arrangement almost exactly mimicked the actual Security Council chamber. Seated behind a few joined tables were the leaders of the permanent member states, each allowed an aide, as agreed. America, Britain, France, China, the Soviet Union, Japan, and Australia. Yuuko was even surprised to recognize a few faces, amusedly noting the presence of both General Schwarzkopfs from America and the EU Army, the latter of which was seated with the European Chancellor at the observer members' table. Beside him sat Secretary Goh of COSEAN, and a few other delegates from the other continents. All of them rose as Yuuko and her 'aide' entered, greeting the two with a great round of applause.

The American leader raised his glass. ' _A toast,_ ' he proclaimed, ' _to the leader of Alternative IV, the hero of our era! To your good health, Doctor Kouzuki!_ '

The other nations echoed the toast, and Yuuko picked up the glass on the table at her seat in the centre of the room as well, raising it as they did, and putting it to her mouth as they drank. She took care not to let her tongue touch any of it as she pretended to take a light swig, before putting it down on the table. The fact that America, who had backed Alternative V, was the one who had come out with the toast, was suspicious enough. Grimly she noted that some of the other leaders' cups registered negligible changes in liquid level as well.

' _It is an honor,_ ' Yuuko bowed again as the last leader set his glass down, playing her part well.

' _Well,_ ' the American leader hemmed and hawed a little, and sat back down just as his British colleague stood up smoothly. Well indeed, Yuuko thought. Nice coordination.

' _The Security Council, and of course, all of humankind, are truly thankful for whatever you and Alternative IV have done._ ' The British representative opened with a classic dose of flattery, and all the room nodded and hummed in unison. ' _However, we are a little, shall we say,_ concerned _, about the recent reports of the Original Hive gaining intelligence on our forces from the hive underneath your Yokohama Base.'_

' _Many lives were put in danger by your decision to keep the Hive Reactor at Yokohama intact, Doctor,_ ' continued the American leader, nodding as he glanced at his British counterpart. ' _We have heard from our commanders that many soldiers' lives were lost, especially during the orbital dives, due to this decision. I even have personal reports that our assault on Kashgar would not have needed to be accelerated so much if not for your little oversight there. What do you have to say?_ '

Yuuko regarded him silently. She should have expected as much. In fact, she even knew what was coming next.

' _Do you all really think that this person, who would recklessly risk the lives of our people for the sake of gaining an edge, should be put in charge of our next move?_ ' railed the British leader, as several other delegates in the room groaned and put their palms to their foreheads in exasperation. Yuuko herself was on the verge of doing the same thing. It really was too bad that Yashiro's telepathic capabilities were being suppressed. The little ESPer probably had her share of things to say about these international leaders behaving like children.

' _What makes us human, my friends?_ ' said the American leader once again, trying his best to make eye contact with everyone. ' _We say nothing makes us more human than the want to protect all of our people, at any cost! You know who doesn't protect their own? You know who uses their people like pawns just so that they can achieve a goal? The BETA, that's who! And Russians of course, but that's for another day, now that we've won this war. Mr Zorin, please sit down…!'_

Yuuko silently sat in her seat and considered her reply as the American and Soviet delegates again came close to breaking it out on each other, with their respective aides holding them back. The observer nations watched with amusement, and the other permanent members seemed to regard it as nothing out of ordinary. It certainly was out of the ordinary, and it would have been very impertinent barely two weeks ago, before Operation Ouka had ended in a victory for human forces. And she'd thought America was done meddling in other nations' affairs after the coup. She did notice that the American delegation and the Japanese delegation were not speaking as much as they had used to. But in fact it was actually worse. Not one, but _all_ of them seemed to be planning for the postwar world. Looking at the sheet of paper on the table in front of her, Yuuko studied the list of topics to be discussed. 'Target-setting for the Spring Campaign', 'Environmental Impacts of the BETA Invasion', 'The Restoration of International Trade'. Now really. So she was only here to get her rank stripped from her before the great Partition of Earth began? No. I've worked too hard for this only to get it taken away from me now.

' _If you've quite finished, honored colleagues,_ ' Yuuko began, enjoying the surprise on their faces as she spoke perfect English. ' _I would like to clarify the situation with regard to the impact of Operation Cherry Blossom._

' _There is little evidence to suggest that the situation has in fact changed for the better._ ' Yuuko gestured to a screen on the wall that immediately lit up. Yashiro sure was efficient, even without her telepathic cues. ' _Although we have successfully destroyed Objective 1 and Target A, we have done so at the loss of hundreds of Pilots and the only working prototype we had of the XG-70d to begin with. Despite this however, I would like to point out that there has been no discernible improvement on any of the fronts. Only two days ago there was news of a renewed BETA effort from Spain into Morocco, which in fact, succeeded. The capital of Morocco is under heavy attack now even as we speak, and I hear that satellite images have been showing the Minsk and Budapest Hives intensifying projectile launch rates._

' _Additionally, we don't know if the Hives have some kind of failsafe built into them after their Original Hive has been destroyed. We don't even know how their Superiors come into being in the first place. Did it land in Kashgar? Does it spontaneously spawn in the Hive? Will there be another one soon?'_

The American and British delegates looked quite humbled, while all the room looked much more somber than they had before. Good, now I've got their real attention.

' _But we soon will have this information_.' Yuuko smiled at them precociously. ' _During the assault on the Original Hive, the now non-functional 00 Unit was able to obtain data about all Hives' interiors, composition, and in fact, even the Superior's final instructions to them and how the instructions are even passed down, which it probably would have been unable to acquire without the experience gained from its interactions with the Yokohama Hive Reactor. The data sits in Yokohama Base as we speak, and is being decoded now by a team of technicians, led by yours truly._ ' She smirked. ' _I defer the final decision to my colleagues in the Security Council._ '

This was good. The delegates were now looking rather unsure of themselves, with the exception of the COSEAN delegate, who was actually nodding directly at her. Yuuko knew it had been a wise choice to withhold some of the bounty of Operation Ouka from UN High Command. There was no telling what they'd do with her project after that. Commandeer it? Repurpose it? No one knew. The plan had been to come to the UN with the information _after_ it was decoded, and use it as some kind of bargaining chip for them to give her control of whatever else they had her working on. After all, now that Alternative IV had succeeded, the playing field had been reset for a new bid for resources for projects post-Alternative. Now was as good a time to bring up as any other though. Not only had she successfully humiliated the Alternative V remnants that were trying to discredit them, but she also let them know that she had valuable information that would be useful in the future for _all_ parties, while the Americans only had capital and whatever was left of their global prestige. By all accounts, she now held more cards than them.

' _The Soviet Union bids for the right to host this project_.'

What?! Yuuko looked up, only to see the Soviet delegate standing up with a declaration in his hand, while the American delegate looked on, shocked.

' _The Soviet Union has the greatest need for informational assistance now, with the largest number of hives being on our territory. We see the recapture of our lands as the gateway to retaking Eurasia as a whole. We will sweep the BETA from the Earth!_ '

' _Objection!_ ' snapped the American delegate. ' _The United States of America vetoes this resolution. The project should be in the hands of the party most able to execute it!_ '

' _Nonsense! For it to disappear into the CIA's bowels forever? Look what you bunglers did just last December…_ '

This was ridiculous.

Then, the COSEAN delegate stood up. ' _We recommend,_ ' he said in a soft but firm voice, ' _Japan continues to own the project. However, the Soviet Union receives priority access to the information, and America contributes both materially and financially to the project. Japanese personnel will work on and protect the project, while it is housed in Soviet grounds._ '

Flawless, Yuuko thought. Flawless application of the third-party principle. A neutral party deciding things just like that.

The American and Soviet delegates thought for a moment, then sat back down.

' _The United States of America reminds the Council of the right to all nations for freedom of access to critical important information, and the right to self-determination,_ ' said the American delegate tersely after a further moment of silence. ' _The United States of America requests for a reduction of the Soviet Union's lease of Alaska if this deal is to proceed, to be settled out of this hearing. The United States of America also requests for Dr. Kouzuki to be held in isolation in the UN Base to guarantee impartiality._ '

' _The Soviet Union agrees_ ,' shot back the Soviet delegate. ' _The Soviet delegation requests that the United States in a gesture of good faith disarm all nuclear countermeasures active in the Alaskan Leased Region, and convene with the Soviet delegation to discuss the reclamation of the Eurasian continent. The Soviet Union also calls for the lowering of tensions between nations while humanity is on the brink of crisis._ '

Yuuko never tired of watching nations pretend they cared about the rest of humanity while maintaining their own political echo chambers. It was just as well for the Americans to be reminding people of the right to self-determination when half their army was composed of refugees from other nations, pressed into service. Already she saw the French, British and EU delegations looking at each other in apprehension at the US-Soviet deal.

' _The Empire of Japan requests the right to station a garrison of soldiers for the protection of her personnel,_ ' the Japanese delegate quietly quipped.

' _The Soviet Union vetoes this move. Japanese personnel will be housed in neutral grounds in the UN 6_ _th_ _Force Base, and are perfectly safe_.'

' _My personal squad is up to the job_ ,' Yuuko said to the Japanese delegation.

' _Objection,_ ' said the American delegate triumphantly, the negotiations and bargaining heating up. ' _Personal military squadrons may not reside on a foreign base without a commanding officer present to direct them._ '

' _My personal guard and I will stay as well then, and assume command of the squad._ ' Yuuko started as she realized who was speaking. _'International leaders and their guards may not be refused entry and residence in a UN base unless they are rogue nations. International leaders may also assume command of affiliated units due to their status as commander in chief. In this case, I will order my troops to assist Soviet personnel in defending Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Base unless pressing matters concerning the lives of Japanese personnel arise. I assume we are all in agreement with our Charter?_ '

There was silence.

' _Agreed,'_ the American delegate conceded, and sat down. The delegates collapsed back into small talk as the bailiff began drafting the resolution, and Yuuko exhaled. Damn it. Now she would be trapped here in this ice box of a country for at least a month or two. But on the bright side, she had managed to prevent the gains of Alternative IV from being snatched by the Americans, with the help of a certain special someone, of course. But she could only shake her head as she looked at the leaders of the seven most powerful nations in the world, back to smiles and compliments now that the quarrel was over. Nuclear countermeasures? Really? Yuuko could think of about nineteen other places where those nukes would be better spent rather than on each other. But this outcome was better than nothing, she supposed.

As she waited she perceived Yashiro looking at her quite meaningfully, hidden behind the computer she was manning. It was the most she could do without her telepathic communication after all. The little ESPer gave her a small smirk, and touched her rabbit ear inhibitors lightly.

They'd forgotten the anti-telepathy provision after all. It would probably be more appropriate to parenthesize that, Yuuko thought. It was almost inconceivable that the Soviet delegation would have conveniently allowed for the continuation of contact with Yashiro, given that she had once been an asset of their own Alternative III. Yuuko sensed that this was a pivotal moment, with only seconds to act. Whether she raised the irregularity or not would probably come back to bite her in the future. She was officially a member of the UN, working on a Soviet base, allowed uninhibited contact with a Soviet-manufactured ESPer. The decision hinged on whether it was necessary to keep Yashiro on her side, and whether the step necessary to do that would be worth cutting off her direct contact with A-01 from wherever she would be held. Swiftly, she decided.

' _Additional provision requested_ ,' she said, rising from her seat. ' _Alternative III member, Trista Sestina, has gained high access to the gains of Alternative IV, due to her nature as an ESP user serving as a key communication link for the 00 Unit. Provision for her to be transferred permanently into Japanese UN service as '_ Yashiro Kasumi _' to consolidate sensitive information._ '

It was quite a gamble. The Soviet delegation seemed a little unsettled as their purposeful 'slip' was uncovered by the one they'd expected to go along with it. However, it was a high price. Forgoing her ESPer access to get Yashiro permanently with the Japanese faction. If they picked up on it, they could veto it and force her to hand Yashiro over. However, the moment the American and Soviet delegations made eye contact on this issue, Yuuko was quite sure she'd won. The moment the Soviets began considering the reaction of the international community, and especially America, they'd realize it wasn't worth all the extra attention and personnel in their base if they pressed the issue, especially if what she'd heard about their activities here was accurate at all. The UN was after all, actively turning a blind eye to the USSR's 'selective repatriation', and allowing them quite a bit of funding for anti-TSF weapon development. Just enough to keep up with the Americans, but not enough for them to pose a real threat, of course. Who'd want that?

' _Deal,_ ' the Soviet delegate said crudely, conceding the issue. ' _Additional provision to place Dr. Kouzuki in a telepathically-shielded room._ ' Well, they had to salvage their reputation somehow.

As the Security Council ratified the resolution one by one, Yuuko stood up to be brought off to her holding area. Yashiro stood up as well, walking beside her as impassively as ever. 'Thank you,' Yuuko said, looking at her trusted aide. She wouldn't apologize when she was of course happy to have Yashiro with her. 'You won't be seeing your sisters after all, then.'

'No,' her aide agreed, standing on her own beside General Yudenich as two MPs appeared to guide Yuuko away. 'But I will have new ones. Thank _you_ as well.'

* * *

 **Wasn't that fun. I have no idea what a UN meeting looks like, but given that this is a closed door meeting with very small numbers, and the probable high number of meetings since the BETA invasion, this probably wouldn't be implausible. One of the running themes in all the Muv-Luv games is the nationalistic focus that prevails even in the face of the alien threat, especially since the BETA arrived in human awareness in the late 60s, which was the height of US-Soviet Cold War competition, getting heat in Vietnam, the Middle East, and Africa, so I thought it'd be relevant. Hope you enjoyed it, stay tuned for Akane's return next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4: Preludio

**AN: Wow, it's been a while. Sorry it took me so long to get back to this story, but I wanted to make sure the output would be of good quality. Not much going on in terms of action here, but hope it gets you guys excited to meet our dear Soviet Eishis! We'll be seeing a lot of Akane too from here on.**

 **Also, thanks to all the new followers and reviewers! Muv-Luv is a really slow and sedate fandom, so I wasn't expecting much but I really appreciate the support, and hope you enjoy the ride.**

 **Reviewer pihip: I used the 'Eberbach' expression with the assumption that an account of his life and performance would have survived and been proliferated, since according to the anime (spoilers) some of the 666th survived. But I can see where you're coming from, may decided to change that up in future.**

 **Without further ado, let's get to the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Preludio**

Meeting Room C on Level B2, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Base, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

6th January 2002, Night

'Touko-san~'

'Aaahh! Misae, _stop!_ '

Akane yawned as she sat sprawled in her seat in the meeting room, her hands tracing invisible patterns on the table. Where had the rest of the day gone? After Maksim left they'd spent the rest of the day unpacking their belongings.

She'd given some thought to what had happened in the HSST on the way here. That was ridiculous, she decided. I can't be that weak anymore. Haruka won't be around to comfort me when I'm in trouble, and I was the one who signed up for this secret squadron that no one outside of the top tier of the UN knows about.

She knew from the water that had been on her neck in the HSST that Munakata wasn't having it easy either. She'd suddenly been promoted from nothing to the leader of the whole of A-01. After Isumi died, Hayase died, and then almost the entire squad died. They had almost no combat potential now, and hadn't been able to die with their friends when they'd gone into Kashgar alone. Akane was still nothing, but she could, and should do her best to ease the burden on her comrades too. How do you all keep this up? She wondered, looking at Kazama and Munakata who were at it again, talking quietly at another corner of the table as usual. Smiling, laughing, giggling. Even you, Asakura, snoozing so soundly. You have each other. You've always had each other. I have no one now. What do I do then?

Well, Hayase didn't have anyone either, Akane realized with a jolt. Hayase was alone from the start, and she didn't buckle or break. She was, and _is_ a true hero. Storm Vanguard One. First in, last out. In fact, at Yokohama Base she hadn't come back out.

I won't be able to face you in Valhalla when we meet, Hayase-senpai, Akane thought sadly. Not if I remain like this. I won't be able to face anyone.

That settled it then. She'd had a few weeks of rest and recovery where she'd been banned from doing _anything_. But now she no longer had that excuse. A warm tingle of fresh resolve ran through her as Akane swore an oath in her mind. She wouldn't let anyone down again. She wouldn't be weak. Once we get back home, I will give it my all like I've never done before. No one else is going to die! She stood up from her seat, and opened her mouth to speak.

'Everyone, I-'

The door opened.

Slowly, all of them stood up, chairs screeching, and faced the entrance to the room. What? What's she doing here? Where's the Professor? Whoa…

'Attention!' A woman with green hair, clad in a red uniform of the Imperial Royal Guard shouted at the stunned occupants of the room. 'Salute and bow, for the Grand Shogun of the Japanese Empire, Her Royal Highness Koubuin Yuuhi!'

Huh? Mitsurugi-san? What?! Akane and her squad followed the motions mechanically, lining up in a stunned, disoriented line and bowing as low as their backs would allow.

'At ease,' said "Mitsurugi", waving a hand towards them. 'Tsukuyomi, I wish to speak with them privately.'

'Your Highness, will you be alone with these foreign troops?'

'They may wear UN uniforms, but I know they are Japanese people at heart. They bear me no ill will.'

'But of course.' The guard, Tsukuyomi, bowed to her charge. She raked them all with a stern glare, then backed out the door, closing it as she went.

* * *

A-01 looked at each other tensely with their eyes, all of them unsure as to how to act in the presence of such authority. Koubuin Yuuhi, bearer of the rank second only to the Emperor of Japan, looked them over as well. A specially-tailored, form fitting purple uniform with red accents covered her frame. If one were to be so impertinent, it would not be hard to mistake her for a common servant or attendant, were it not for the glittering insignia on her shoulders, and the radiant, gold headdress she wore which imitated the image of a blazing sun, borne between two metallic arms. Akane scanned her memory for the lessons she had no doubt received in her childhood on how to act when confronted with a member of royalty, but sadly came up bare. Years away from home in the UN Army had removed any vestige of memory that remained. She and the others settled for standing at attention, as they were wont to do in the presence of any superior officer.

'Greetings to you all,' the Shogun said, as she stepped forward towards the table in the room, cutting a majestic figure despite being clad in non-ceremonial garb. 'Please, be seated. I am sorry if my presence causes you any pain.' Looking around them, her serene smile did not waver. 'I am fully aware of who I look like. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say I am aware of who once bore resemblance to me. I am sorry for your loss.' She bowed herself now, and all of them scrambled to lower their heads more than she had done.

'T-Thank you, your Highness.' Munakata started shakily, but eventually regained her natural charisma and met the Shogun with a calm, even tone. 'We are touched by your kindness. However, we are soldiers after all, and will continue doing our duty to humanity, no matter the cost. Countless other nations await their liberation.'

The Shogun laughed lightly. 'It soothes me greatly to see powerful hearts such as yours, brimming with such spirit. Indeed, humanity has come a long way, and it enlivens one to see that our resolve is strong as ever.

'Which is why it pains me so much to have to deliver to you more bad news.'

Akane held her breath.

'The Security Council has mandated that Professor Kouzuki be housed here in the UN Base in complete isolation, while she and other Japanese personnel work on the decoding of the data from the 00 Unit. She is to have no contact with outsiders to ensure impartiality, and no access to any armed personnel.' The Shogun looked them all in the eye. 'This includes you.'

It took a moment before Akane managed to decipher the implications of the Shogun's words, and fury ran through her. Those Russians and their little games. This woman saved you, and you're throwing her into prison? She seethed. Maksim wasn't kidding around then. Is this who the world was saved for?

'Your residence in this base is only guaranteed by my presence,' the Shogun continued. 'The Russians and Americans both tried their best to isolate Doctor Kouzuki. As of tomorrow, you'll be temporarily under the command of Tsukuyomi, my personal Guard outside. Yashiro Kasumi will be with you as well.'

Akane suddenly noticed that Yashiro had quietly joined them beside her, rabbit ears and all. She noticed that the patch on her right arm with the Soviet Army emblem on it had been replaced. The shining visage of the Valkyries' icon stared right back at her.

'As your commander in chief, I order you to assist the Soviet Armed Forces in their defence of Kamchatka, and to assist them in forward operations unless Japanese personnel's lives are threatened. Your TSFs will be delivered within a day, though the Soviet commanders have told us that there are surplus units available. I believe they are Su-37 Terminators. The decision is yours whether to accept them.'

'As you command, Your Highness. We shall carry out your bidding to the best of our ability!' Munakata saluted.

The Shogun shook her head lightly, still smiling.

'In truth, my friends,' she said, ' _my_ bidding is hardly very significant.' She looked at Akane. 'Are you angry, Second Lieutenant Suzumiya? Are you angry at the Russians' treachery?'

Akane froze for a moment, her face heating up.

'Don't be afraid to speak your mind,' continued the Shogun, smiling. 'You are among friends.'

Eventually, she nodded resolutely. The Russians had no right to be taking Dr. Kouzuki prisoner. It was illegal, and ungrateful.

'Why are you fighting then?'

'To protect Japan,' Akane said. 'To live up to the example set by my comrades.'

'And the rest of you?'

They nodded assent. Just outside Akane's peripheral vision, a purple head remained still.

'Then I amend my orders,' the Shogun said. 'I order you to mingle with the Soviet personnel and to explore the town around this base on your free time. Know what you are protecting.

'I told this to one of your teammates before, though he may not have agreed with me. When a soldier says he is fighting to protect the country. He doesn't mean he is protecting the mountains, the streams, the fields. He is fighting for the people who inhabit the land. He is fighting for the country that lives in the hearts of the people. Without the people, there is no country. There is only soil. It is hollow, and soulless.'

The Shogun stood. 'So go forth, and find out what it is you are giving your life to protect. Find your reason for fighting, the fuel for the flame within you which will never be extinguished. Farewell.'

She stood and walked out of the room, leaving a solemn atmosphere in her wake.

'What the-' Akane was forced to clamp her mouth shut again as Tsukuyomi stomped back into the room and stood in front of them. She shrank slightly as the green-haired honored guard glared at her, but somehow managed to keep her expression straight.

'I am First Lieutenant Tsukuyomi of the Imperial Royal Guard,' she said curtly, just as Akane now remembered. This woman had been everywhere they went around Yokohama Base, tailing Mitsurugi through their training until one day she simply disappeared. After that happened Mitsurugi's capabilities and voice suddenly rose exponentially, but of course she wouldn't have remembered, having passed the CCSE about a term before Squad 207B.

'I am fully aware that I have no right to command you, or even ask for a salute from you members of an international army,' she said. 'However, you should know by now that the great powers would react unfavorably if the personal squad of their prisoner were to be seen to run amok in the base.' She bowed slightly. 'Therefore, it would be much appreciated if we could cooperate. I am in your care.'

What a day of firsts, Akane thought, bemused. First the Shogun comes to meet us. Then a member of the Imperial Royal Guard bows to us and asks for our cooperation. Something must have changed, she realized, comparing her to the stoic, strict and above all scary Tsukuyomi who had accompanied them around in Yokohama Base, and even struck Tamase across the face for touching the Takemikazuchi. This Tsukuyomi looked a little warmer, and even… a little older. Like the other Royal Guards, Tsukuyomi's eyes blazed with a fire one would be hard-pressed to find in a regular conscript like Maksim, or the guards in front of Yokohama Base. But while the fire had burned a white hot inferno before, now it seemed to have cooled slightly to a steady red glow, now a hearth that did not burn even those that were close out of free will.

'If that's all, then get some rest and report to the PX by 0700 tomorrow morning. We have been assigned to the 1st Squad, 3rd Armored Battalion ' _Staryy'_. Dismissed!'

Saluting, Akane and the others filed out.

* * *

Alone in her room, Suzumiya Akane browsed the book she had managed to sneak out of the library just before it closed. It had been clean and untouched compared to the others around it, and no wonder, for its spine bore a title written in English. _'Service Records of Tactical Surface Fighter Battalions Past and Present: UN Working Languages Edition 1999'_

Japanese was not included yet, despite her own country having become a permanent member of the Security Council in 1987. But she was passably good at English, and one could potentially decipher Chinese characters due to their resemblance to _kanji_. Even better, if whoever had written the book had included a translation in Traditional Chinese, which was basically identical to _kanji,_ since Japan had adapted from it. This would have to do. If anything, the joke was on the Soviet soldiers who hadn't remembered that Russian was one of the working languages of the UN. She giggled lightly, then realized it was a possibility that not enough of the soldiers here read Russian well anyway.

Akane flipped to the contents page, and saw a few familiar names instantly.*

103rd Tactical Fighter Squadron ' _Jolly Rogers'_. America.

44th Tactical Armor Battalion ' _Zerberus'_. West Germany.

666th Tactical Surface Fighter Squadron ' _Schwarzesmarken'_. East Germany. Now disbanded.

10th Tactical Armor Battalion ' _K. und K.'_. Austria.

17th Guards Tactical Armored Division ' _Pyotr Velikiy_ '. Russia.

43rd Guards Tactical Armored Division ' _Volk_ '. Russia.

8th Tactical Armor Battalion ' _Fei Xing Jun'_. Unified Front of China.

It took quite a long while of searching before the 3rd Armored Battalion ' _Staryy'_ came into view. It seemed to be quite a new unit, and an anomaly among the Soviet TSF squadrons. As the book explained, Soviet TSF squadrons followed an unofficial hierarchy of honors: unnamed, tethered, 'guards' and named. All squadrons started out unnamed, with only a number to distinguish them. If they ever performed well enough to be deemed as representatives of their bases or districts, then they were given names that corresponded to their bases' locations. Akane noted with some surprise that the service records of the regiments designated _'Moskovsky'_ (of Moscow) and _'Leningradsky'_ (of Leningrad) continued on even up to the present day. It would seem that for places which had fallen under BETA control, being selected to join a battalion tethered to that place was tantamount to being placed in the force that would be destined to liberate that place, with the condition of course, that at least one veteran of the original ' _Moskovsky'_ was still alive. With a little bemusement Akane noted as well the presence of ' _Kievsky'_ (of Kiev) and ' _Kalniningradsky'_ (of Kaliningrad). They weren't taking any precautions with their naming then.*

A step above being tethered, was being rewarded with real battle honors, the Order of the Red Banner ( _Krasnoznamyonniy_ ), and the coveted title of 'Guards Division' ( _Gvardeyskiy_ )*. Unlike the previous accolades, which could be attained on the training ground or in defensive skirmishes, the 'Guards' and 'Red Banner' designations could only be attained in offensive operations against BETA hives. This made them extremely rare, and it was only fitting that the Volk Regiment had attained the Guards designation for their courage.

Finally, there were the 'named' units, which numbered in single digits. Names were bestowed upon the most prestigious TSF squadrons by the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, and either featured 'patriotic' names of their own choosing, or the names of famous figures in the history of the Russian sphere of influence. Apart from ' _Pyotr Velikiy_ ' (Peter the Great), there were also predictably, regiments named ' _Vladimir Ily'ich Lenin_ ' and ' _Konstantin Rokossovsky_ ', important political and military figures in nearer Soviet history. It was said that these names were granted because the regiments had stayed behind to cover the retreat of the USSR's military and civilian population, taking enormous casualties of almost 95% in the process. Many of them had been on the Eastern Defense Line from its conception somewhere in the Ural Mountains, and fought and died to defend it even as it was steadily pushed all the way back to where it now rested in the furthest reaches of Russia, and became instead the Far East Defense Line. The soil of the USSR was stained red as its flag with the blood of its heroes.

Therefore, Akane thought, cocking her head, it made little sense why the 3rd Armored Battalion would have been named, if it were formed so recently, in 1992. The name ' _Staryy'_ too, as explained, meaning 'old' or 'ancient' in Russian, was a little ironic for such a junior TSF squad. It was not found in the list of 'named' regiments either, which was even more confusing. Named but not named? She kept reading, her eyes lingering for a moment on the little corner of the page devoted to displaying the unit's emblem. It was modest; a gold-bordered red star with gold wreaths on either side, and a golden '3' below the star. Above and below it Cyrillic script was emblazoned, incomprehensible to Akane and left unexplained, since it was an unofficial motto.

Commanding officers… Ekaterina Vladimirovna Petrova, decommissioned 1992… That was fast, she mused with a 'hmph' …Vladimir Nikolayevich Sukhov, 1993 to present. What a mouthful, Akane thought, trying to pronounce his name properly and nearly biting her tongue in the process. She leaned in closer to the picture of him that was included. For such a long name, it did not seem to fit him very well. ' _Staryy_ 's CO was not a big man, standing about five centimetres taller than Tsukuyomi by Akane's estimate, and possessing fairly nondescript features. Brown hair, clean shaven, and the standard stripes of a Captain on his shoulder. His eyes were green, but those were the only part of him that exuded any uniqueness whatsoever, staring straight into the camera with a quiet gleam that seemed rather different from the maniacal blaze in the preceding Captain Petrova's eyes.

Apart from that, all other information was classified.

What was I even expecting, Akane sighed, closing the book and putting it on the desk next to her bed. We're in Russia after all, reading about a Russian division.

One thing struck her though, as she looked up at the ceiling of her room, surprisingly as reassuringly boring and featureless as her old quarters in Yokohama Base. Whatever the 3rd Armored Battalion was, with all its classified details, it was rather distinctly _ironic_. A young squadron being named 'old', was precisely all the more strange for not being placed in the named section despite possessing one, and its leader seriously struggled physically to live up to his imposing name. Akane imagined the picture with Maksim's name underneath it instead, no surnames and middle names attached. Indeed, no difference. Russian conscript, Ukrainian conscript. All conscripts.

But it was precisely this walking hodge-podge of contradictions, that kept her awake for a little while longer that night, because pained as she was to admit it…

She _was_ excited to meet the new squad.

* * *

 **AN: Sorry to disappoint if you were expecting a lot of action :p Look forward to more new characters being introduced in the next scene as A-01 meets 3rd Armored Battalion _'Staryy'_! Massive information spam below...**

* * *

 **Index**

 **1) Translations of non-English TSF Squadron names (Apart from Schwarzes, Volk and Zerberus, I made up all the rest in the chapter)**

 **\- Zerberus: Corresponds to the mythical hound Cerberus who guards the Underworld in Greek mythology**

 **\- Schwarzesmarken: Black Marks. The name is grammatically incorrect in German but is explained away canonically by saying a Soviet officer named them. The name references the colors used by medics to distinguish severity of cases, with black meaning casualties beyond all help.**

 **\- K. und K.: Short for 'Kaiserliche und Königliche', or 'Imperial and Royal', a common prefix for infantry regiments in the Austrian Empire.**

 **\- Pyotr Velikiy: Peter the Great in Russian. Although using his name may seem weird for the Soviets, Tsar Peter is widely regarded as the most popular Russian historical figure in Russia itself.**

 **\- Vladimir Ily'ich Lenin: The leader of the Bolshevik Party in the 1917 October Revolution that would establish the USSR. Even today in our world he is regarded as a founding father of Communist ideology, alongside Karl Marx. It is quite evident why his name would be illustrious enough to be used as a decoration for an exemplary TSF squadron.**

 **\- Konstantin Rokossovsky: Marshal Rokossovsky was one of the most distinguished Soviet commanders of World War II, the other being Marshal Georgy Zhukov. I selected this name simply because it sounded more imposing. He began the war as a disgraced ex-prisoner due to Stalin's purges, but rose to become one of the nine Marshals of the Soviet Union who earned their ranks during World War II. He is remembered most prominently for planning Operation Bagration in 1944, which liberated the entirety of Belarus from Nazi occupation and almost completely destroyed Army Group Centre, placing the Soviet Army within striking distance of Berlin.**

 **\- Volk: 'People' in German. It is unclear why a Russian squadron would bear this name.**

 **\- Fei Xing Jun: 飞行军, a close equivalent to 'Airborne Soldiers' in Chinese, though not in the paratrooper sense. 'Army that travels as if by flight' is more accurate. Used commonly as an accolade for armies who are so hardy that natural obstacles are easily overcome and the army 'flies' across the landscape. The number '8' is also significant, representing the August 1 1927 Nanchang Uprising of the Communists against the KMT in China, and is the anniversary of the Chinese PLA's founding. Additionally, the main Chinese Communist army in World War II was known as the 8th Route Army.**

 **\- Staryy: 'Old' or 'Ancient' in Russian. Its meaning and significance will be revealed later.**

 **2) Military decorations in the vein of the Orders described here exist in real life. The Red Banner and Guards designations are the most often awarded for military accomplishments, though there also exist an Order of Lenin, Order of the Red Star, and Order of the October Revolution. Different decorations may exist in modern Russia which continue from the Imperial era.**

 **3) The Caution/Intention of the Russians: Both Kiev and Kaliningrad are places that are outside of Russia proper. Kiev is the capital of Ukraine in the real world, while Kaliningrad actually used to be called Königsberg, until World War II when the city's German population was expelled and replaced with Soviet settlers. It was renamed Kaliningrad after Mikhail Kalinin, one of the original Bolsheviks from 1917, and remains a Russian territory to this day in our world.**


End file.
